Kim Jong Un loses 5kg in just two months

North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un has reportedly lost more than 5 kilograms for the past two months.

An unnamed government source said on Wednesday that Kim Jong Un has lost more weight since July when the South Korean National Intelligence Service first reported Kim’s weight loss of 10 kilograms or more. Kim, who was presumed to have weighed about 140 kilograms in the beginning of this year, is now estimated to have lost 20 kilograms since then. Kim, in his middle 30s with a height of 170 centimeters, is extremely obese, and rumors about the young leader’s health condition have continuously emerged, including Kim allegedly suffering from adult diseases that are usually experienced in those in middle and late adulthood.

The same source, however, repudiated the rumor raised by some media outlets that it was a stand-in actor, rather than Kim Jong Un himself, who appeared at the military parade held on Sept. 9, the day of the foundation of North Korea, citing Kim’s sudden weight loss, by stating there is no evidence that a stand-in actor appeared instead of Kim.

The number of days Kim spent in the countryside increased compared to the previous year. The unnamed government source confirmed that the North Korean leader has stayed longer in the rural areas, although it is unsure whether it is to control and prevent the COVID-19 pandemic or to study public sentiment. “One possibility is to lose weight as a way to maintain health,” said the government official.


Jin-Woo Shin niceshin@donga.com